The entrance of 2010 marks another election year for the District, and a number of offices will be up for grabs. D.C. residents will be electing a mayor, seven members to the D.C. Council, a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives and scores of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners.In the sea of campaign ads and endorsements that will soon flood local and national media, one District-based candidate stands out: D.C. Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large) (SFS ’90, LAW ’93).

If the fact that Catania is a two-time Georgetown graduate doesn’t convince you to support him, consider his impressive achievements as a councilmember. He has spent the past year crusading for equal rights for the LBGTQ community. Last May, he spearheaded the efforts to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. In October, Catania introduced the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act. The bill – which legalizes same-sex marriage in the District – passed in December and will take effect next month. At a time when the national mood toward same-sex marriage is uncertain, Catania has remained firm in his position and succeeded where other efforts have failed.

Catania’s success is not limited to his efforts to legalize same-sex marriage. He is the current chairperson of the D.C. Council Committee on Health. In this capacity, he has marshaled initiatives such as the SafeRx Act – a bill designed to protect consumers by making drug marketing practices more transparent – and increased access to health insurance for the poor with the Healthy DC program. Moreover, he has continually worked to tackle the D.C. HIV/AIDS epidemic and improve the District’s public school system.

Catania has achieved victory after victory for D.C. residents and proven his ability to be a leader of this city. So if you are registered to vote in the District – or if you are looking to keep your doorbell-ringing skills sharp by working on a campaign this year – consider supporting David Catania in his bid for re-election.

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